When people talk about comics or graphic novels the publishers that come to mind first and foremost are the original big two, DC and Marvel; and if somebody is a little more familiar with the industry, you might get into Dark Horse and Image territory. To be sure, if you walk into a comic shop these are all the companies you will see the most of at first glance.

Really, though, searching the shelves and the boxes of back issues you will find quite a few other publishers, many of which publish incredible works. Some companies just don't get that much attention from your average comic book fan -- companies like Papercutz or NBM aren't paid much mind by many fans -- but the works companies like these publish are some of the most important works in the medium.

Since 2005 Papercutz has made its name as the number one publisher of children's comics and graphic novels, making it more likely to be known by teachers and librarians than comic shop patrons. Sometimes,though, the stories we write for and about children are the most important ones, and that;s the case with a work like "The Wendy Project" by Melissa Jane Osborne and Veronica Fish. Originally published online and as four separate volumes only available at conventions, the "Wendy Project" has been collected and published by Papercutz under its Super Genius imprint, and as such has been given a special treatment that makes the book unique and places it among other such worthy works as Neil Gaiman's "Mr. Hero" and Jessica Abel's "Trish Trash: Rollergirl of Mars."

Drawing on J.M. Barrie's eternal classic "Peter Pan," Osborne tells the story of a young woman named Wendy who loses one of her brothers after an accident ends with her and her two young brothers trapped in a car rapidly sinking in a cold New England lake. Though Wendy and her brother John survive the crash, her brother Michael died and Wendy refuses to accept this. Instead she is convinced that he is alive and with a mysterious flying boy she calls Peter. In an effort to deal with this, she takes up drawing and writing in her journal, something which begins to blur the lines between reality and imagination eventually calling into question the very nature of reality.

As published by Super Genius, "The Wendy Project" is made to look like a journal with its leather textured cover and rounded corners. Inside, Fish's art springs to life and alters as needed, creating a work that evokes the emotional work of a young adult working hard to come to terms with her life and the tragedies in it as reality seemingly comes unraveling around her. Splashes of color draw the eye to important elements and emotional moments, while the rest of the world that Wendy is forced to navigate in her despair and empty hope remains black and white.

At one time this incredible work was only available to people able to make it to conventions, or online, but now you can find it any major bookstore and many comic shops if you look hard enough. Doing so is worth it, as this is the kind of book that makes the strengths of the comic medium evident and rewards readers that take the time to explore it.